How To Create The Perfect Gear Submission For Gearogs

As the race to contribute heats up heading into the September Pledge Initiative for 2018, here’s what it takes to make the perfect gear submission on Gearogs. And if we’re not aiming for perfection, why are we even here?

Sure, you can get by with minimal submissions with just the maker, model and function, but these submissions are kind of pointless. Detailed submissions that clearly differentiate one item of gear from another are crucial to building a lasting and worthwhile database, and to get a bigger picture of how these items and models fit together.

The following tips to crafting high quality submissions could save you time on editing your contributions further down the track, position you as an authority within the Gearogs community, and if you’re a seller, better submissions could help you shift more music gear.

1. Be familiar with the guidelines

Nothing gets the pulse racing like rules and guidelines. Yeah, reading over guidelines is kind of dry, but there’s a wealth of information here that it’s in your best interest to know before you submit. Your fellow contributors and community members will appreciate it, and you’ll be better equipped to respond if there’s a question regarding your submission.

2. Have the item in front of you

It’s the first point in the guidelines (points if you knew that) but it bears repeating. Having the item manual will also help you add more detail. You may also wish to consult third-party sources and websites, but this should be in addition, not in place of looking at the item.

3. Use ‘Add One Like This'

Just like Copy To Draft on Discogs, this feature will save you a tonne of time when adding a similar piece of gear to the database. To Add One Like This, go to the edit button on a release page, click the arrow next to it to open the dropdown menu. Just make sure you remove any unnecessary fields, and add all those that apply to your item.

4. Be as detailed as possible

As stated above, function and maker only does not a proper gear submission make. Fill as many fields and add as much detail as possible so other users will be able to differentiate the version you’re submitting from other versions. If you’re submitting with a view to selling your gear, including more details may help you attract more prospective buyers as they’ll appreciate knowing more about the item, and it will be linked to from more places, like maker, function,, form factor, country of origin and more.

5. Use the notes field

In line with being as complete as possible with your submission, add any detail that doesn’t fit within the given field in the notes. That said, it should still be general terms about the release, not about the condition of the item in your possession. Similarly, be thorough with the submission notes, be clear where your info is coming from and give context where needed. If you’re making edits, be very clear what you’re changing and/or why.

6. Add Images

Whoever came up with the old adage ‘a picture says a thousand words’ was a smart cookie. Don’t get me wrong, a photo is not a stand-in for a data and a detailed submission, but it adds a lot of visual information, and it looks better. When you’re scrolling through the database and it’s all text with placeholder images it’s a total snooze. While having a photo of the front, back, spine and more is great, even just the cover is excellent. Check out these tips for quick and easy image uploads.